1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to holographic memory systems, and more particularly, to improved operational mode performance of a holographic memory system.
2. Related Art
Developers of information storage devices continue to seek increased storage capacity. As part of this development, memory systems employing holographic optical techniques, referred to as holographic memory systems, have been suggested as alternatives to conventional memory devices.
Typically, holographic memory systems read/write data to/from a photosensitive storage medium. Such systems typically access holographic representations (that is, holograms) substantially throughout the spatial extent of the storage medium. This allows holographic systems to advantageously store a large amount of data.
Holographic memory systems may be designed to record data as single bits of information (i.e., bit-wise data storage). See McLeod et al. “Micro-Holographic Multi-Layer Optical Disk Data Storage,” International Symposium on Optical Memory and Optical Data Storage (July 2005). Holographic memory systems may also be designed to record an array of data that may be a 1-dimensional linear array (i.e., a 1×N array, where N is the number linear data bits), or a 2-dimension array commonly referred to as a “page-wise” memory system. Page-wise memory systems may involve the storage and readout of an entire two-dimensional representation, e.g., a page of data.
Holographic systems typically involve the three-dimensional storage of holograms as a pattern of varying refractive index and/or absorption imprinted into the storage medium. In general, holographic systems operate to perform a data write (also referred to as a data record or data store operation, simply “write” operation herein) by combining two coherent light beams, such as laser beams, at a particular point within the storage medium. Specifically, a data-encoded light beam is combined with a reference light beam to create an interference pattern in the photosensitive storage medium. The interference pattern induces material alterations in the storage medium to form a hologram. The formation of the hologram is a function of the relative amplitudes, phase, coherence, and polarization states of the data-encoded and reference light beams. It is also dependent on the relative wavelength of the incident beams as well as the three dimensional geometry at which the data-encoded and reference light beams are projected into the storage medium.
Holographically-stored data is retrieved from the holographic memory system by performing a read (or reconstruction) of the stored data. The read operation is performed by projecting a reconstruction or probe beam into the storage medium at the same angle, wavelength, phase and position as the reference beam used to record the data, or compensated equivalents thereof. The hologram and the reconstruction beam interact to reconstruct the data beam. The reconstructed data beam is then detected by a sensor, such as a photo-detector, sensor array, camera, etc. The reconstructed data is then processed for delivery to an output device.
As noted, holographic systems are light sensitive systems that have the ability to store large amounts of data. In fact, it is possible for each page stored as a hologram to contain thousands or even millions of elements. Theoretically, it is believed that, at the present time, up to 1014 bits of information are storable in approximately 1.0 cm3 of photosensitive storage medium. Accordingly, with such large storage capacity in these systems it is desirable to quickly access the holographic storage medium.